The present invention relates to a method for removing H2S and CO2 from crude and gas streams.
A long standing problem in the oil and gas industry is the presence of H2S or hydrogen sulfide gas in hydrocarbons. H2S must frequently be removed before a hydrocarbon can be further processed and/or used as a commercial product.
Another routinely encountered contaminant is CO2, which frequently must be removed as well.
Various surface scrubbing methods and H2S or CO2 removal devices and methods are known, but the need remains for a simple and efficient method for removal of contaminants in a downhole environment as well as at the surface.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a method for removing H2S and/or CO2 from hydrocarbon gas and crude streams.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a method for removal of H2S which is simple and economic in use, and friendly to the environment.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.
In accordance with the present invention, the foregoing objects and advantages have been readily attained.
According to the invention, a method is provided for removing at least one contaminant selected from the group consisting of H2S and CO2 from hydrocarbon streams, which method comprises the steps of providing a stream of hydrocarbon containing said at least one contaminant; and positioning metal-containing nanoparticles in said stream, said metal-containing nanoparticles being selected from the group consisting of metal oxides, metal hydroxides and combinations thereof, whereby said nanoparticles adsorb said at least one contaminant from said stream.
In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the hydrocarbon stream to be treated is a downhole stream established from a hydrocarbon producing subterranean formation to a hydrocarbon producing well, and the nanoparticles are positioned in fractures induced into the formation in the form of propants and/or additives to propants, whereby the hydrocarbon stream produced through the fractures is exposed to the nanoparticles and H2S and/or CO2 are adsorbed downhole.
In accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention, the contaminant-adsorptive nanoparticles of the present invention can be utilized at surface locations as well, for example in packing filters and the like, so as to advantageously adsorb H2S and CO2 contaminants from hydrocarbon streams.